Previous high intensity special effects lighting systems that employ fiber optics have been inefficient with respect to the amount of optic power produced, expensive and have suffered from other difficulties such as the overheating of fibers in the optic system. Moreover, previous systems have not provided the power output required. For example, there is a demand for a fiber optic lighting system which can provide over 250 milliwatts of optic output from a single output or fiber end. Present commercially available systems utilizing multiple fibers usually provide only a small fraction of this amount of power. By contrast, the present invention is capable of producing over 1 watt of optical power and often about 1.8 watts of optical power. The optical power output of a typical system in accordance with the invention is about 10 times the power output of lighting systems now being used commercially in the entertainment industry as a compact system for the purpose of providing special effects.
The resulting intense beams of incoherent light are excellent for a variety of applications including stage show lighting, trade show lighting, the lighting of fountains or other displays, as well as in conjunction with musical performances, night club acts, discos and the like. The invention can also be used in biomedical lighting for illuminating parts of the body. The light source or light box is also very compact and capable of being placed anywhere desired, e.g. behind or under a stage.
The invention has the following additional characteristics. More individual fibers of the fiber bundle can be moved independently to various locations on a stage or can extend vertically to the ceiling. The outlet end of each fiber can be housed in a modulation device for imparting color or for reflecting the high intensity beam of light in various directions as desired. The separate fibers can be easily handled and moved to new locations on a stage or elsewhere as required. In medical applications a fiber can be threaded through an instrument for illuminating the body with an intense beam of light.
More specific objects of the present invention will be apparent in view of the following detailed description setting forth by way of example but a few of the various embodiments of the invention that will be aparent to those skilled in the art once the principles described herein are understood.